The present invention relates to a process for producing styrene. More particularly, the present invention involves a process for the direct production of styrene by passing ethylene oxide and benzene over an aluminosilicate catalyst.
Historically, styrene has been produced in a two step process including a first step for the alkylation of benzene to form ethylbenzene and a second step wherein ethylbenzene is dehydrogenated to styrene. A common method for the formation of ethylbenzene is the addition of ethylene to benzene in the presence of a alkylation catalyst. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,897 by Wise, ethylbenzene is formed by the alkylation of benzene with ethylene over a rare earth exchange aluminosilicate catalyst at temperatures below 600.degree. F.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,506 by Burress, benzene is alkylated with ethylene in the presence of a zeolite ZSM-5 catalyst to produce a mixture of ethylbenzene, diethylbenzene and triethylbenzene.
It should be appreciated therefore that the a two step process requiring an alkylation step to produce ethylbenzene and then a dehydrogenation step to produce styrene could be greatly simplified if styrene were produced directly. In addition to simplifying the overall process, direct production of styrene will result in decreased process time and process costs over the other two step processes.